


Naming the Particular

by jesterlady



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Backstory, Gen, One Shot, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-07
Updated: 2011-11-07
Packaged: 2017-10-25 19:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/273853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesterlady/pseuds/jesterlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Tooth and Claw.  Rose wonders why the Doctor called himself James McCrimmon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Naming the Particular

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own DW. The title is by Eugene Peterson

It had been awhile since they’d stopped laughing about the prospect of werewolves in the royal family. He’d taken them into the Vortex so they could relax for a bit before their next adventure. She’d changed into her sweat pants and was reclining by the console while he tinkered around with the control panels. A typical evening, all in all.

“I don’t get it,” she said finally.

“Get what? Gotta narrow that down, Rose. Lots of things you don’t get, lots of things I don’t get, well, fewer than you, but still, don’t know everything.”

“No, you really don’t.” She gave him a mock glare before going back to her original point. “Now, not that I’m an expert, but I’ve hung around with you for awhile and you seem to be awfully keen on people calling you the Doctor. Still, on occasions when we’re undercover, John Smith seems to be the favorite code name.”

“I believe that rather is my non de plume of choice. Observant girl, you. What of it?”

His words were muffled through the screwdriver he held between his teeth.

“So why Dr. James McCrimmon?”

“Eh?”

“You told Queen Victoria you were James McCrimmon. With a very convincing Scottish accent.”

“Not like yours,” he said, grimacing.

“We haven’t all traveled for nine hundred years learning different accents. Now, come on, why?”

“Well, it’s a long story.”

“Well, I’ve got time, Timelord.”

“Fine.”

He stopped messing with the Tardis and hoisted himself up next to her, leaning back on his elbows.

“Listening.”

***

“So back in my second regeneration, hold on, second regeneration?” His face screwed up. “Now, could it be called second regeneration? I mean, technically, it was my second body, but I’d only regenerated once, so could it be my first regeneration, second body? Or does it matter? Is it like you lot? I mean when you’re born you’ve been living for nine months, but nobody hands you a nine month year old cake and shouts Happy Birthday, no, that doesn’t happen until you’re one, and you’re really twenty one months. Though, in Korea, you are one when you’re born,” he mused and then trailed off when he caught Rose’s expression. “Right, sorry, Jamie.”

“Jamie?”

“So, second body, first regeneration, second incarnation, ooh, I like that. Well, I happened to meet up with a bloke in the 1800s, name of Jamie McCrimmon. Traveled with me for quite a long time. Lots of adventures, Snowmen, Ice Warriors, Cybermen, Gulliver. Quite a tempestuous boy, but good, very good. I suppose I picked up the accent from him, though I daresay I could’ve done it anyway.”

“Right…”

“Oi! I’m very culture adaptable.”

“I’ll bet you are,” she snorted.

“We traveled for a bit, like I said, but then his memory got wiped of his time with me, along with Zoe’s, and he got sent home to his own time. Shame that. Harsher times, those.”

“What? How could you let that happen?”

“Let isn’t exactly the word I’d use. I don’t even have a word for it, actually.”

“Fine, why did it happen? You travel with lots of people? Who’s Zoe?”

Rose’s face wore that expression he didn’t like. The possessive one that only a nineteen, no, twenty, year old girl could have.

“Would it help if I told you that I looked like a space hobo with a Beatles haircut?”

He said it mainly to distract her. The tone of her voice was going to a dangerous place he didn’t want to visit. His desire for companionship and her was something that didn’t need contemplation. Shouldn’t need.

It worked. Her brain must have immediately conjured up images of him like that.

“Describe it to me. Tell me everything.”

“I can do better than that!” He jumped up to his feet. “Accompany me to the wardrobe room, Miss Tyler and I will show you.”

She took his outstretched hand and pulled herself up and they went to the wardrobe room.

Talking about his past hadn’t been something he’d really wanted to do. Jamie and Zoe were painful subjects, but he supposed he’d brought it on himself. It had just felt right to use Jamie’s name. An homage of sorts. Now he would show Rose his second incarnation’s, yes, he liked that description, clothes and then take her somewhere exciting. Hopefully, she would forget about Jamie and Zoe and everything connected with his past. If not, he could always show her the multi-colored, patchwork coat. Now that was really distracting.


End file.
